I live near a major tourist destination popular especially with young people from Europe. About half these people come from Germany, and I’ve found in them interesting things. They were smart, articulate and in excellent physical shape. However they tended to be unfriendly. Whereas the Dutch and the Swedish were also smart, articulate and in excellent physical shape, but they were very friendly.
Far be it from me to equate these people with Nazism. That was 80 years ago, and people who were a part of it are now dead. But German people stand to gain a lot from fixing their unfriendliness habit. This is something that’s wrong with Germany now, as opposed to 80 years ago. And changing it is something that stands to benefit Germany.
It is valid to be proud of one’s virtues and one’s accomplishments. It is not valid to hold the rest of the world in low esteem. Once again, the Dutch and the Swedes are as smart, articulate and well-built as any German; and they are better to other people. Which means that they generate good will toward their countries. Whereas the unfriendly behaviour of German people generates ill will to their country, and not only from Jews.
The French have a similar problem. In an Australian pub I saw a sign that said “French people suck.” There is a lot of ill will toward the French. The main reason is that they tend to be unfriendly to people who come to France as tourists and also because they tend to behave on the world stage in an arrogant manner. This is a foolish way to behave.
Whereas the Italians are generally seen positively. That is because the Italians have gone to the bother of reaching out to people in other countries and to treat them right.
None of these populations are better or worse than the other. However there are things that some of these populations do wrong. I don’t have ill will toward the Germans or the French. I want them to fix their unfriendliness habit. Then more people will like them, and what is right about these countries will have more currency in the world.